|
Tacoma’s Green Living Guide
is an interactive story map of Tacoma that highlights 7 categories related to
sustainability and the environment. Visit the interactive map to learn about
sustainability resources related to green building, energy & recycling.
Did
you know there are over 35 EnergyStar or LEED-certified buildings in Tacoma?
For example, the City’s Police Headquarters on S Pine Street is a LEED Silver
Certified building. Discover more, while also exploring solar panels and
recycling opportunities.
The City of Tacoma EnviroHouse
continues to offer Tacoma-Pierce County residents numerous displays and resources
to develop an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Overall this quarter, EnviroHouse staff
greeted a total of 639 visitors, with another 100+ seen in the gardens. We
would love to have You visit!
Tour
groups included students from U.W.-Tacoma, Bellarmine Prep H.S., University of
Puget Sound’s Recycle Crew, and several Dept. of Ecology Conservation Corps
Youth Work Crews. Guided group tours of the EnviroHouse and grounds may be arranged
by appointment; email ehouse@cityoftacoma.org or call (253) 573-2426.
Fall workshops resume in September and will be
online for registration (required) in early August at cityoftacoma.org/workshops. Many of the
favorites will be repeated: composting, winter gardens, pruning, rain barrels, ductless
and whole house heat pumps, and mason bees among others. New sessions this fall
will offer green interior design, houseplant choices and care, solutions for common garden
problems, DIY energy audits/solutions and simple household repairs.
Did You Know? EnviroHouse
staff, workshop instructors and the City’s Media Dept. have been producing YouTube
How-To demonstrations videos on a variety of topics. Search on YouTube for the
EnviroHouse HowTo Playlist to get tips on gardening, herbs, drip irrigation,
worm bin composting, mason bees and more. This is an ongoing project so be sure
to check back for new videos.
The EnviroHouse is located at the Tacoma Recovery and Transfer Center (former landfill),
3510 S. Mullen St., Tacoma 98409 (off Center St.). Open hours are: Wed.-Fri. 10-3; Sat.-Sun. 11-5. Directions are online: cityoftacoma.org/EnviroHouse.
As of July 12, Tacoma retailers are no longer giving out thin plastic
checkout bags, and are charging a minimum 5 cent fee for paper and reusable
bags. This change came after a year of planning, outreach, and engagement with
shoppers and Tacoma businesses. So far, the response from the community has
been largely positive. City staff continue to help businesses understand how
the law impact them, for example clarifying that
food take-out bags are not
affected by the law and neither are businesses located outside the city limits.
Over the past few weeks, staff and community
volunteers conducted outreach at grocery
stores and community events, where they gave
away free reusable bags and resources to
help shoppers tackle the issue of forgetting to bring their bags to the store.
The City will continue to give away free bags this summer at the Tacoma
Municipal Building’s TacomaFIRST 311 Center, at community events, and through
several partner organizations. We are grateful to our many volunteers, partners
and hardworking colleagues who have helped bring this significant and positive
change to Tacoma.
For more information about where to get free bags, the new
Bag Share program, and more, please visit cityoftacoma.org/shoppingbags.
Climate Change
The Washington Regional
Coastal Resilience Project
Tacoma is one of two communities
selected to receive a NOAA grant to participate in the Washington Regional
Coastal Resilience Project (WCRP). The WCRP is a three-year effort to address
coastal hazards by coordinating our state investment in coastal management. A
diverse team of partners, collectively over three years, will improve the
communication of risk associated with sea level rise and associated coastal
impacts in Washington State. The project will motivate communities to plan and
prepare
A presentation about the project
was given to The Port of Tacoma in the Spring by the Assistant Director of the
Office of Environmental Policy and Sustainability, Jim Parvey, and
representatives from the UW Climate Impacts Group, Washington Sea Grant and the
City’s Planning Department. The Port Commissioners expressed strong interest
and a desire to participate in the grant activities and utilize its outcomes. A
mid-July workshop focused on steep slopes, landslides and other hazardous areas
of concern in the City that may be impacted by sea level rise.
Save the Date for next year's Sustainability Expo:
April 14, 2018 !
Our program team recently concluded sustainability outreach
in the Lincoln District, visiting 551 homes and having conversations with 265
families since March. By visiting homes and six local community groups, staff
members shared eco-friendly, cost-saving resources
available to households as well as City plans to
revitalize the Lincoln neighborhood.
Now that construction of the Lincoln District streetscape is
under way, staff members have pivoted to prepare for the next program
neighborhood. The program will spend the weeks ahead engaging stakeholders,
reviewing available information, and building partnerships in South Tacoma.
Outreach will start in the new neighborhood in October 2017.
Get involved in local sustainability by emailing pbabbitt@cityoftacoma.org.
EnviroChallengers
The EnviroChallengers were part of a few gatherings including: Earth Day School events, Festival of Sails, and Taste of Tacoma. Keep and eye out for the EnviroChallengers at more events this summer!
Lessons & School
Activities:
The EnviroChallengers delivered 200 classroom lessons this Spring and established homeschooling connections.
High School Enviro Club meetings takes place every other Wednesday. EnviroChallengers also meet with principals, teachers, and stakeholders to promote the program and encourage collaboration with City of Tacoma's Environmental Service Department.
Urban Green - Episode 19
In this edition of Urban Green we visit Tacoma's Broadway Farmers Market. Chef Hudson Slater from Tacoma Yacht Club cooks Farmers Market Primavera. We visit rePLY Furniture's Steve Lawler to discuss his earth-friendly furniture made from discarded plywood scraps. Learn about Tacoma's new shopping bag ordinance, how to make a slug trap and in EnviroHouse How-To we'll show you how to grow indoor herbs. |
